After Marrying a Vegetative Princess, I went crazy with joy! - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Arrival of the Mastermind!

Once people formed a preconceived impression, it became difficult to change it. For example, Su Li’s caring attitude towards Changle deeply touched the heart of the Empress and even the female officer. They believed Su Li would never leave and take good care of her. However, in Li Er’s eyes, it was all an act…

Li Er was uncertain and suspicious, especially due to Su Li’s peculiar behavior. This only fueled his doubts, fearing that Su Li might be a deceptive individual with hidden motives. Despite Empress Zhangsun’s valid points and Changle still being unconscious, Li Er couldn’t fully dismiss these thoughts. He had to temporarily suppress them.

Nonetheless, Li Er didn’t relax. On the contrary, given the numerous anomalies, he intensified his investigation into Su Li. Initially, they had someone continue looking into Su Li’s background and life experiences. However, since Su Li’s family had moved to Longyou several years ago, during the sixth year of the Wu De era, it was challenging to gather detailed information before the war broke out. Now that Su Li’s behavior had become suspicious, Li Er naturally intensified the investigation.

Furthermore, Li Er repeatedly summoned Yuan Tiangang to inquire about his plans regarding Su Li. Unfortunately, Yuan Tiangang’s responses were evasive and lacked substantial information, deepening Li Er’s suspicions.

Days passed, one after another, and while Li Er remained doubtful, Su Li’s life grew increasingly comfortable. His confidence soared, especially as he observed his points rising and his attributes improving.

Each passing day mirrored the previous one. Compared to Li Er, who harbored doubts, Su Li’s life was much more contented.

Su Li, who had been preparing to present a serious demeanor, couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotions. He believed that if he continued to grow at this rate, even if Li Er didn’t believe him, he wouldn’t be able to harm himself. People continued to visit Changle during this time, especially as her complexion improved. Some of her siblings, like Crown Prince Li Chengqian, Prince Li Ke, and Li Tai, as well as the future Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, came to visit.

Today, a new guest arrived once again—Princess Gao Yang, a young girl of around ten years old. The female officer tried to stop her, saying, “The son-in-law is attending Princess Changle’s bath. Please wait a moment.”

However, Princess Gaoyang, despite her young age, emerged an air of arrogance and dominance. She showed no respect for the female officers and confidently entered the princess’s residence with a few maids in tow. She paid no attention to their attempts to stop her and made her way directly toward the inner courtyard.

“Sister… I’ve come to see you!” Princess Gaoyang’s voice, like that of a clear bronze bell, resounded through the air. Princess Changle, who was currently being bathed by Su Li, felt a slight tremor in her heart. She recognized that voice—she was her younger sister, Princess Gaoyang, whom she loved dearly.

Changle vaguely remembered playing with her sister in the forest garden that day. It could have been due to excessive exercise or her vulnerability to asthma attacks in the winter. In a careless moment, she lost her breath and collapsed to the ground. Changle had congenital asthma and was fragile, so she always carried pills for sudden asthma attacks. It wasn’t the first time she experienced such an attack, and she had her medicine with her.

Unfortunately, due to the hasty fall, the pill slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. Changle struggled to breathe  while the maids rushed to her aid, frantically searching for the medicine. Amidst the chaos, Princess Gaoyang, Changle’s own sister, secretly kicked the bottle of medicine into the nearby lake.

Initially, even if the medicine had been lost, Changle’s maid would have had another set of medicine with her. However, on that particular day, Changle’s maid was left behind at Princess Gaoyang’s residence and did not accompany them. Changle observed everything clearly, but she was unable to utter a word. She didn’t even have time to process the fact that her beloved sister, whom she adored, could be so cruel. Tears streamed down Princess Gaoyang’s face as she lay on top of Changle, sobbing inconsolably after kicking the bottle of medicine into the lake.

Changle’s acute asthma attack worsened, causing severe oxygen deprivation. Perhaps due to damage to her brainstem or other factors, Changle slipped into a coma and never woke up again. As a result of this tragic incident, Changle’s maid was sentenced to death.

Until now, Changle had never imagined that her once cute and adored younger sister could harbor such viciousness within her. Even after causing Changle’s suffering, Princess Gaoyang pretended to be distraught, falling on Changle and crying bitterly. Their father scolded the maid beside Changle for neglecting her duties and regretted that Changle hadn’t brought her medicine. But Changle knew that things were not as they seemed.

Princess Changle and Princess Gaoyang had been very close. Whenever Changle visited Gaoyang to play, Gaoyang would always dismiss her personal maid and request her to stay in the palace. Changle had indeed brought her medicine that day, but her own sister had callously kicked it into the lake. The once well-behaved and lovely Gaoyang had transformed into a hideous demon, instilling fear and dread in Changle whenever she was near.

In this moment of panic and fear, Changle longed to grab Su Li’s hand and reveal the truth. She wanted Su Li to protect her, as their relationship had shifted from affection to terror and estrangement.

The dark psychology of a ten-year-old girl filled Changle with unexplainable terror. Compounding her distress was the fact that Su Li was still assisting her in bathing, leaving her completely naked. Princess Changle, with her pure heart, couldn’t understand how Gaoyang could casually visit her as if nothing had happened. Changle desperately didn’t want to see Gaoyang, nor did she want Gaoyang to witness her current vulnerable state. She felt like a naked and helpless individual, easily manipulated by others. Fear gripped her, intensifying all the negative emotions flooding her mind.

Amidst her anxiety, Changle could hear Gaoyang’s voice drawing nearer, along with the sound of her footsteps and laughter. Gaoyang sweetly called her “sister,” radiating the same innocence as before. The scene was overwhelming. Just then, a warm voice broke the tension.

“Stop her…” Su Li didn’t raise her head but directed her gaze at the maidservant in the room. She whispered, “Didn’t you see that I was bathing the princess?” Su Li frowned.

Upon hearing these words, the two maids in the room hurriedly rushed out to intercept Gaoyang. Changle was in a delicate situation. Even though Gaoyang was also a girl, it was inappropriate for anyone to casually witness her naked body. Moreover, at this moment, when Changle had lost control over her bodily functions, even if she were conscious, being seen by another female would be an immense humiliation.

The palace maids and female attendants within the mansion were more acceptable, as they served as close attendants and servants to Changle. However, Gaoyang held a different status. As a princess, she shared the same rank as Changle, further increasing Changle’s embarrassment and degradation

“Gaoyang!” Su Li murmured softly, finally understanding why Gaoyang displayed such arrogance and dominance, forcefully intruding into the inner courtyard. Su Li’s frown deepened as he hastened his efforts to clean Changle.

Changle could only feel the warmth in Su Li’s hands, which provided her with an appearance of courage among her turmoil.